iPhone X To shoot in normal or telephoto lens?

I sometimes choose the telephoto over the standard lens when taking pictures of near objects such as food or auction listings. The reason I do this is I find the iPhone has problems focusing when you are too near an object. By choosing the telephoto lens I can remain a comfortable distance from the subject but still get a nice tight shot.

 

Remember that on the iPhone it’s not two aperture openings on the same camera. It’s two completely different cameras. The “tele” camera has a sensor with smaller pixels though is still capabile of great photos.
So, bottom line, you are not comparing the same things here. The Samsung is using the same camera (sensor) for those two apertures so expect the 2.4 to produce sharper images. The iPhone is using two different cameras.
My advice would be try both cameras (on the iPhone) in good light and see which you like better.
Also, remember, that in less than ideal light the iPhone will not switch to the “tele” (2x) Camera, even if you press the 2x icon, but will simply do a digital zoom, which I would argue you do not want to do.
In order to always have total control on which camera is being used, you will have to use a 3rd party camera app.

 

How do you choose telephoto lens option ?

 

With the stock camera app, towards the bottom you’ll see “1x”. Tap twhtnand it will change to “2x”. That means the longer lens is being used unless the light is not enough in which case it’s only a digital zoom to 2x.